There has been much discussion over the past couple of years about continuation of US federally backed research and subsidies for wind and solar technology. Some insist still that fossil fuel industries should be favored for supplying consumers with electricity, since they are what we have always known. While the debate will surely rage for some time to come over renewable energy vs fossil fuel energy, the real discussion always comes down to production costs. There is no debate that fossil fuels cause pollution and alternative energy does not, so the sides will often choose to concentrate on the amount of damage that is actually caused by this pollution. One side will exaggerate the amount of climate impact, and the other side will minimize it, but neither will deny that as far as actual impact on the environment alternative energy production is more favorable. The real debate that will decide the future of energy in America comes down to the costs that must be covered by consumer payments. In a nutshell, the cheapest source of energy will usually be favored. By potentially cutting off research into better methods of production within the alternative spaces, the future president may be keeping the fossil fuel industry relevant.

Technology that is improved in the alternative energy spaces creates cheaper power for consumers. Since the source of the energy is free, the costs associated with production of power come in the form of the equipment that is needed in order to produce electricity and the replacement costs when that equipment is damaged. Lightning strikes are a common factor that creates damage within wind and solar facilities, producing damage at the strike point as well as surge related damage downstream. The computerized equipment that manages the facilities is directly connected to the wind turbines and solar panels which harvest the free energy source, but the exposed nature of these components puts them at risk to harsh to weather and lightning strikes. The strike damage itself is difficult to mitigate, but the damage produced by the lightning power surge can be reduced or even eliminated through the installation of robust industrial surge protection technology like that developed by Raycap. By preventing the downstream overload of circuitry, there is less cost ongoing to the facility in the form of equipment replacement.

One of the most obvious examples of the benefits to the solar and wind industries is the “always on” capabilities of Raycap’s Strikesorb product line. By creating a product which not only protects equipment from surges but also needs no resetting or replacement after it has performed it’s duty, Raycap has improved the production capabilities of wind and solar facilities considerably, allowing for the eventual driving down of costs. Strikesorb products allow wind and solar facilities to stay online and producing for the maximum amount of time that the energy source is available, thereby minimizing downtimes to the point of potentially making alternative energy cost less to produce than fossil fuel energy. Companies like Raycap will continue their technological advancement of surge protection, eventually ending the debate once and for all by facilitating a cheaper power source that is less damaging to the environment.